My Know-It-All Nemesis - Maggie Dallen Page 0,11

that stupid nickname,” he said, folding his hands over his chest. “It doesn’t even make sense unless you’ve taken up surfing recently.”

I sneered at him, and he had the gall to laugh.

“Uh huh.” I tossed my ponytail over my shoulder. “Just like you weren’t behind the chauvinistic Brainy Barbie stunt, right?”

“How many times do I have to say I’m sorry for that?” he snapped.

I blinked in surprise at the genuine anger in his eyes. Normally when we bickered, it was all lazy smiles and taunting smirks. Like nothing I ever said got through to him. I recovered quickly. “Once,” I said, holding up a finger in his face. “Just once.”

He grabbed my finger, holding it in his fist and lowering it. For a second, I forgot where we were, and my heart kicked into overdrive as he shifted even closer so his face was inches from mine.

We were both breathing heavily as our gazes clashed and held, fire and anger seeming to build between us as he held my hand in his.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

I jerked back like he’d hit me. “What?”

“You’re right. I guess I never did actually say it,” he said with a shrug. Like that was it. Like it was that easy.

“You’re sorry,” I repeated, not buying it. There was a trick here, I was sure of it. I narrowed my eyes and watched him as he sank back in his seat.

“I’m sorry.” He arched his brows. “Is that what you’ve been wanting to hear?”

“Yes, actually,” I said, my tone stiff while I crossed my arms defensively. Was it so bad to want to hear an apology after he made me a laughingstock? I didn’t think so.

For one millisecond, I thought maybe we had a truce forming. Then he had to go and ruin it.

“It was just a joke, Kate. You need to lighten up.”

“Jokes are supposed to make people laugh, Miller,” I shot back. “Maybe you need to learn how to be funny.”

To my surprise his lips twitched up a bit at the corners like he was trying not to laugh. “Maybe you’re right.”

Silence.

There it was again, this weirdness. Almost like a slack in the tension that was forever between us.

“For what it’s worth, I thought you looked really cute in that chicken hat.”

Moment ruined. Again. I narrowed my eyes at him, and he held his hands up in mock surrender. “I’m serious. And there’s nothing wrong with dressing like you’re some lady from another decade, I don’t care what anyone says.” His voice was all earnest sincerity.

He was totally mocking me. Except this time, his eyes were twinkling with laughter, and for the first time ever, I didn’t get the feeling that it was at my expense.

I found myself fighting a laugh again. Which was crazy. I mean, this guy wasn’t funny, he was just a bully. A smirky know-it-all who breezed through life without a care.

“Why, Kate…” He leaned forward again, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Don’t tell me you find me amusing.”

I glared. “Never.”

His grin made me want to smack him.

There. Now we were back to normal.

“Eyes up front!” Our Spanish teacher, Ms. Carson, clapped her hands, marking the start of class, and I shifted to face forward, opening my book to the requisite chapter.

The class was...less than stimulating. Everyone knew Ms. Carson was super close to retiring, and she taught like she was already one foot out the door. I could see the boredom on her face as she started to conjugate a new set of verbs.

I was only half listening, the other part of me was too busy rehashing everything Miller had just said. Mainly how he’d accused me of making promises I couldn’t keep.

I wasn’t. I hadn’t!

So why were his words nagging at me, making me want to spin around and start smacking until that knowing smirk fell right off his face?

It wasn’t my fault I had ideas. And no, I couldn’t guarantee I could make it happen, but it was good to have goals, right?

I’d bet money he was just jealous because he didn’t have any original ideas, farfetched or otherwise.

4

Miller

I had nothing.

For the second time this week, I found myself staring down at a sheet of paper, my mind a blank and my head spinning with words.

Not useful words.

Not ones that I could form into the talking points I was supposed to be preparing for the school assembly next week.

The words in my head were Kate’s words. They were in her voice, all condescending and smug.

Me. Buying